Victoria Amplifier Co. 5112 Champ 112 Combo

This amp has limited features, 2 inputs (hi and lo) and a volume control. It doesn't need any more features its perfect as it is. It is a 5 watt amp but i find it hard to believe because it is so, so loud. The cabinet is covered in a lovely original tweed material laquered to the highest standard and this surrounds a solid pine cabinet with a 12inch custom eminence speaker.

This amp blows me away. It sounds so good i am gobsmacked and find myself smiling whilst playing. I honestly can't understand how this amp achieves its tone but, i can go from clean to zz top raunch with little effort. This amp makes me happier than my cornford mk50 2 (which i adore) because it is easier to dial in the sound you want/need. The distortion is classic raunch and i use it with a custom built feline guitars les paul and a custom built strat with Bareknuckle pickups. try this amp its unbelievable. Despite being a faithful recreation of the fender champ 5f1 circuit. The amp has no hiss or buzz at all.

All handwired, no pcb's sprague caps, groove tubes valves and jan rectifier. I don't think it could get more reliable. my only concern would be scuffing the tweed, it doesn't seem as robust as tolex.

haven't spoken to mark baier but i hear he is a great bloke, he must be his amps are fantastic.

I am astounded by this amp and i think you will be too, give it a go and take your credit card because i bet you buy it!!!

In terms of fetures we all know its just the volume and two inputs very simple and strait forward. The versatility comes with the guitar you use and in your own fingertips.

So far so good I have had this amp for a week and it just sings. I replaced a Gibson goldtone 15rv for this baby and couldnt be more happy. With my LP JR the sound is nice and warm and deep very oldschool with lots of low end response. I can play just about anything in my repitoire. Right now I like to keep it right in between 9 and ten and use the volume on the guitar to controll the overdrive. And this thing has some crazy overdrive not distortion but a smooth harmonicly rich overdrive. I cant wait to try my strat through it (being set up and fixed up a bit) and since I got it I am in the search for its perfect companion and nice new tele. all around great amp and great sound. highly recomended for those who want to plug in and play....

So far so good Ive had it for a week. although my jewl light crapped out on me which i have read about in the past but i am trying to figure out how to fix that asap because the light is just so pretty in its purple color.

I ordered directly from Victoria Mark was very gracious with all my questions and the amp was ordered and in my house in under 2 weeks very cool. Just keep your emails short and sweet and they will all be answered they are a bust group and do not seem into long and drawn out corispondince.

I really like my new Victoria and am so happy I finally have it I have been a tone freak for the last 5-10 years and I think i have met my tonal heaven with this bad boy. customer support was great and other than my jewl light dying everything about ity have been wonderfull.

If anyone has a good remidy on fixing the light feel free to email me. Thanks

My Victoria 5112 was born in early 2005. Direct from Mark Baier owner as there is no dealer wher i live in Canada.Eric Johnson once said " the best amp in the world has just one knob" Simple. One input for single coils, one inupt for hummies.This is a true receation of Leo Fender`s 5f1 circuit produced in `57to61 champ`s add a 12 in. Jensen P12Q in a larger deluxe solid pine cabinet and you Have a REAL champ on steroids!!This amp doesn`t need a reverb. There are so many harmonics and overtones happening in this amp reverb would wreck it.Say TONE several times, this is the best sounding amp I have ever owned bar none.Fender`s Laney`s, Matchless Etc.Class A simple direct, all tube circuit.All tubes are factory NOS. 1 preamp,1 output, and 1 rectifier. Just turn it on and go!! I use this amp at home ,excellent volume for home and neighbours. For 5 watts it is LOUD. Extension cabinet or mike for gigs. Very versatile depending on volume selected.Less knobs equals more TONE.

I play G&L Legacy and G&L Assat clasic. Loves single coils. I play everything from jazz,r&b,blues, and rock no metal. This amp is dead quiet for class A.It is volume sensitive low for jazz early break up around 5 or 6 I set it to 9[goes to 12] and use guitar volume and tone controls. That is how to play this anp,control it from your guitar. Solid pine cabinet w/ finger joints make the cabinet alive,not dead as with plywood{glue has no tonal qualities].The result is simply awesome TONE. The cabinet resonates with harmonics and overtones, no pedal can duplicate the real thing.I don`t use my pedals any more change volume or tone on guitar. Instant Stones ,Laylla etc.at your finger tips easily controlled. This is probably the most recorded circuit ever for studio use.Easily the best amp I have ever played for tone,it will astound you. Simple ,direct class A circuit with top quality parts and top notch quality build equals unsurpassed TONE!! and the 5 watts are loud.Easy 10

One look,hand made point to point wiring top quality parts. What other amp co. offers an unconditional lifetime warranty? excluding tubes and driver? Some of the 57 champs are still in service today. This one is built better ,I expect to will it to my son.Arrived properly packaged for UPS torchure test.Plugged it in and away we go. Never a problem and none expected.

Mark and staff very helpfull selecting speaker etc. Profesional transaction. On time with tracking #. Offered to send another speaker if I didn`t like the stock one.

I am 54 ,started playing at 12. Have owed just about everything at one time or another. This is probably the only amp i will keep forever. I have already ordered a pine 2x12 ext. cabinet for club gigs.Bought this amp for home use, could not give up the tone. Less is more, 5 watts will push a2x12 or a4x12. It took me many years and lots of cash to finally figure it out.Tried many small tube amps,this is in a different League. It is Pure Leo. We are prompted not to rate a product to highly,sorry this is a 10!! It lacks nothing,pick it up and jam with friends or mike it at a club. it is very loud and the Tone ,man this it.

The amp was made in 2005. I'm giving it a '1' for features because it only has one feature - volume! The amazing thing about this amp is that a volume control is all it needs. It has 2 channels. 1 sounds great with single coils and 2 sounds great with humbuckers. The amp just WORKS!

I play Blues and Blues/Rock mainly and bought this amp for practise. I got the amp home, plugged it in and Holy S*** it sounded awesome! I play Strats, a Suhr Tele with 2 humbuckers and a LP, all sound exactly like they should - perfect. (I'm keeping this review simple, as is the amp). I have owned several amps in the last 20 years or so, including an original JTM-45, Victoria 50212, Victoria 20112, Bad Cat Cub, Victorilux 35W, DR.Z Maz Jr, Bad Cat Hot Cat 15, Carr Mercury and a couple of Fenders. I can honestly say that this thing is as good as any of them in the tone department. With the 12" Jensen and larger cabinet it sounds big and full. It's actually pretty damn loud. I'm seriously considering miking this thing for small club gigs because it sounds so good!

I haven't owned this one for long but have 3 other Victoria amps and they are built with pride, using the best quality components. I have never had a problem (besides changing old tubes).

The warranty is lifetime. Every time I have called them, they have answered and been very polite and helpful. A truly class outfit. I wish I could say that Fender were half as good as these guys.

Like I said, I've been playing for over 20 years. I own quite a selection of gear, including some very nice amps. If it were lost I'd scour the country looking for another one. I love the way this amp sounds. Tone and more tone. I honestly don't miss any other controls, features, reverb etc. This thing just works. I doubt you could find a better sounding 5 amp anywhere. Did I mention that this thing is loud?

Don't let the "1" rating put you off, this is by design. Never will you find an amp with a more pure tone. The more knobs and features you add to an amp, the more your tone gets compromised. Perhaps however, I am being too strict here. Maybe it should get a "1 and a half" because the speaker is not not hard-wired, it can disconnect with the 1/4" speaker plug provided. This allows you to try out other cabinets, but once you hear this amp the way it is you probably won't want to.

This amp can do everything short of metal. I use the #1 input with a Warmouth parts strat, with 50s Duncan pickups. Two of the pickups are just wired to the jack, no controls. Used with the 5112, I don't think you can get any purer tone than that. The #2 input is not quite as hot so I use that with my '74 20th anniversary Les Paul Custom. This yields a surprising amount of tonal variety as you turn the amp up. All the notes are clearly heard even in wide-open mode (And this one goes to "12").

I would use this on a gig even though it is only 5 watts. Put it up high next to you, mike it up, and use it as a personal monitor.

I met Mark and he knows his onions. Do him a favor though, and keep your questions short-he's too busy making these things!

I have been playing since 1969, and I guess all guitarists finally come full circle. The wiser you get, the less gear you realize you need. This amp will make you instantly realize that the trick is to sound big without being loud. This is a concept which can take years for most guitarists to understand, and which some unfortunately never figure out. I can't overstate this-the 5112 has the purest tone I've ever heard...

One knob (volume) which is also the on/off. No stand-by, no nothing. A purple light. 2 inputs - Hi/Lo. This deserves a 10. This is such a statement. Simplicity, & no need for anything else. Ah, not to forget the rather big cabinet (tweed deluxe size), the feather weight (maybe 25lbs), the pure class A: univalve that can go with a 6V6 or 6L6 (improved trannies), the tube rectifier, the solid pine finger joined cab, the lackered tweed. For me this is it, an amp that has it all. Best feature is maybe the low-wattage. 5 watts, giggable. Turn up, & play with your guitar knobs. Look professional, at last. Jensen P10Q sounds just fine. I'm no Reckoton fan, but here I don't care - sounds great. It looks to die for. Perfect proportions, size, weight. I looked a LOT for my little amp, & this is the best. Didn't expect it to turn into my number 1 amp, but...read-on.

Nothing deserves a full mark like this amp. It sounds better than my Victoria 35310-T, reputed to be their best. I mean, way better. It sounds cuter than all my amps, we're talking 71 Super Reverb, Dr. Z Maz 38 Senior 2X12, Marshall 2558, Boogie Mark I - big serious dogs, as you see - & this amp can HINT at all of them when I want.. This amp sure likes Strats & single coils, but 2nd input with my 345 sounds great. This amp does sound like a tweed fender from the golden years. I can get Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, SRV tones to die for. I mean TO DIE for, really turn heads in the audiance. Other guitarists look at you in awe. Best thing is with all the sag from the 5Y3GT rectifier, you fly. Your mistakes are erased, you just have wings, the strat talks. In-between tones are ducky as hell. The amp has a throaty, vocal quality you rarely hear somewhere else. I am a reverb freak, & this is the 1st amp without reverb that I'm happy to live with. I think this is due to the simplicity (or LACK OF) preamp circuit. Just let things ring, or play double stops a la Robillard, & you swear there is a good amount of reverb in that puppy. I mean I'm not talking subtle, but real audible natural reverb. The transition from clean to dirty is classy & progressive. With a gZ34/6L6 combo it sounds just a little louder, more headroom, but a lot tighter overall, & especially in the bass department. Maybe it will take humbuckers better like that; more of a fendery, V-shaped eq. But don't get me wrong, the amp sounds SO funky with the 6V6, so in your face, british+tweed, thrashy if you want, classy if you want, this is a real treat to be able to switch tubes like that. I didn't even care to look what kind of preamp-tube it has - & this says it all. I can play all my setlist on it, & this includes stuff by Kenny Burell, SRV, Chicago blues, BB King, Texas Swing & Blues (Lou Ann Barton). The amp has variety, & every change in guitar/pickups is marvellously underlined. It does old jazz so well, funk & jump, T-Bone blues are its natural element. Think Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy & Otis Rush. Funny enough, instrumentals (shadows - ventures - tarrentino) are also great, amp is so ringy, nasally when needed, spongy, talkative...It will not do the piercing Albert King / Freddy King thing, but with the right pedal, yes it will. It takes pedals well, I tried it with a Holy Grail reverb, & a sparkle drive distortion. Just great, the amp sounded way bigger. last week I gigged a 65 seater, just like that, unmiked. The amp sounds even better & bigger when raised on a chair. Just have to raise it around 2-3 feet. A lot more trebble & deep throat. the amp is QUIET, barely a very slight hum, to remind you it is pure class-a & not humbucking AB. last but not least, it sounds great at LOW volumes (late night living room) - & doesn't loose all its juice. Incredibly enough, it doesn't loose anything! What I have yet to try is a Les Paul with amp on 12, to get that Allman/Layla thing, & I'm sure it will deliver just the same (can't wait!....) - All in all, to sum it up, UNBELIEVABLE midrange complexity..& it's still new (!)...

Amp is small, lightweight, well built & so simple. I guess it will last , & be hassle free.

Mark Baier is to the point, responds to your e-mails. Don't expect existential or gear-philosophy chats, & endless brain-picking about tiny details. But he will get back to you, always. He is a nice guy too, & has a very nice humour...I appreciate him just as he is, others might expect more.

I have been playing for some 25 years, blues guitar player & band leader, & I back up progessional acts when they come to Beirut - Lebanon. I have played with, (or backed-up on full gigs): Michael Hill, Otis Grand, Shirley Johnson, Little Eddie King, James Armstrong, etc..I have lots of amps & guitars, this one pup fills me with joy of having made the RIGHT choice & not having spent my money on yet just another amp I will play at 2-3 all the time. This amp stays above half all the time & this is where the fun is. Believe me, a loud amp is a loud amp, you will never tap into its soul, unless you are a guitar god playing stadiums. If not, & whoever you are, chances are that the bar owners or (worse) bandmates will ask you to turn dowm. The 5112 will give you that full throttle feel at REAL reasonable volumes - & IMHO there is just no substitute. It's a bargain. If I have to list the 5 best amps being manufactured today anywhere, you will find probably a Dr.Z (Maz model, or Z28), maybe the Vibroverb from Fender custom shop, or better, a Fargen blackbird (BF deluxe reverb knock off), & a Carr of some sort (rambler, or hammerhead, for that EL34 thing)... and the 5112, right there on the VERY short list of top/best amps being currently made. In all honesty, I never heard a VIctoria speak with so much aplomb & ease. So last word is to Mark - bravo you did it. Guitar magazines will keep on reviewing the weird complicated stuff, if not the modeling crap - where this amp is the shit. Glad I got mine, & at this price!!!